Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) claimants are sceptical of a unit being established by the Department for the Economy (DfE) to examine financial hardship caused by tariff cuts.
A consultation document published by DfE this week states that any support to boiler owners outside of the existing RHI payment structures will not be by way of grant aid.
“For instance, where support was potentially available through a loan [from government], this would be fully repayable and provided at commercial loan rates,” the document reads.
Main difficulty
DfE acknowledge that the main difficulty facing RHI claimants is due to ongoing loan repayments for biomass boilers. However, when considering cases of hardship, the department still recommend that the upcoming unit should consider the total RHI payments that a participant has received to date.
The proposals for establishing the hardship unit were described as “a sticking plaster” by Renewable Heat Association executive chair Andrew Trimble.
He maintained that there is no legislation which requires DfE to set up the unit which means there can be no subsequent pay out of public funds. “The most effective relief for those adversely affected by the incompetence of DfE will be through the courts,” Trimble said.
The commitment to establish a unit to examine cases of financial hardship caused by RHI proved pivotal in getting legislation for the most recent tariff cuts through Westminster in March 2019.
The document published by DfE this week states that an independent chair to lead the unit will be appointed by the end of the summer. The public consultation on the matter closes to responses on 10 July.
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Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) claimants are sceptical of a unit being established by the Department for the Economy (DfE) to examine financial hardship caused by tariff cuts.
A consultation document published by DfE this week states that any support to boiler owners outside of the existing RHI payment structures will not be by way of grant aid.
“For instance, where support was potentially available through a loan [from government], this would be fully repayable and provided at commercial loan rates,” the document reads.
Main difficulty
DfE acknowledge that the main difficulty facing RHI claimants is due to ongoing loan repayments for biomass boilers. However, when considering cases of hardship, the department still recommend that the upcoming unit should consider the total RHI payments that a participant has received to date.
The proposals for establishing the hardship unit were described as “a sticking plaster” by Renewable Heat Association executive chair Andrew Trimble.
He maintained that there is no legislation which requires DfE to set up the unit which means there can be no subsequent pay out of public funds. “The most effective relief for those adversely affected by the incompetence of DfE will be through the courts,” Trimble said.
The commitment to establish a unit to examine cases of financial hardship caused by RHI proved pivotal in getting legislation for the most recent tariff cuts through Westminster in March 2019.
The document published by DfE this week states that an independent chair to lead the unit will be appointed by the end of the summer. The public consultation on the matter closes to responses on 10 July.
Read more
Moy Park expects switch to gas heating
Civil servants defend RHI tariff cuts
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